6 Ways to Communicate with Millennials About Social Networking

Identity fraud and other illegal Web activities associated with social networking sites are on the rise. School officials must understand the most effective ways to communicate with Millennials so campus online safety programs will have the greatest impact.

 3. Focus on High-Level Concepts
Millennials pay more attention to high-level concepts than to details. It’s less likely students will remember all the do’s and don’ts of online safety, but they still want to be prepared with the right information.

Students react more than they plan. This is reflected in studies, such as Social Networking.Ofcom Media Literacy Publication, that show students do not fully evaluate privacy settings, assume social networks protect their privacy and believe all content can be managed. K-12 schools, colleges and universities should be teaching students to think through potential situations ahead of time. That’s not to say that students need a business plan before creating a Facebook account, but it does mean they should know enough to ask themselves if it really makes sense to put a birth date – something that seems reasonably harmless – on their Facebook page.

Listening to intuition is also critical, so teach them to be discerning. Use engaging scenarios and let sample real life situations do the lecturing.

4. Facilitate the Conversation
With this collaborative and interactive generation, students want to participate in the broader environment and like to learn in groups. Facilitating sessions that give them something to talk about (versus talking at them) can be more effective in raising awareness for personal safety issues. Likewise, using engaging stories and real-life examples helps them learn to be more discerning and develop a better sense of intuition.

5. Use Rich Media
This YouTube and text-message generation expects to receive quality information. They are easily bored and expect some entertainment and relatable value in exchange for quality learning. Rich video content with a mix of vignettes and statistics is more impactful than distance learning or lecture-style training.

6. Make It Available Any Time
Millennials get their information on their own terms. They represent a 24/7 generation with free wi-fi almost anywhere and ATMs available around the c
lock. It’s about fast technology and instant access. Some safety courses provide public safety leaders with the ability to share important information anywhere, anytime – as long as it’s behind the school’s firewall. Public safety officials can post video to the Intranet so it’s available 24/7, or have it readily accessible for use with safety officers or RAs.

Provide the Right Resources and Encourage Dialogue
More and more campuses are experiencing first hand the issues that can result from their students’ lack of awareness in the online space. But that can be overcome. Knowledge, after all, is power.

Part of what makes the Internet and Web so challenging is the lack of control and inability to manage the information all the time. Thus, raising awareness and delivering information in the right way to manage those risks is important to helping students avert potential dangers and protect their own information.

Reducing public safety and security concerns on campus is a critical way to help make every student’s world a safer place. Fortunately, there are current and relevant resources to educate and engage students in a collaborative effort and move toward a more safe and secure campus. Smarter students means a safer campus – both online and offline.

Rodnie Williams is the founder and CEO of 360° Stay SafeTM. For more information, visit www.360staysafe.com.

Tags: social media

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